I’ve mentioned before that, like sunglasses, I don’t invest a lot of money into my garden tools as I usually misplace or completely lose them.

However, I had such a horrible run of poor-performing hand pruners that I decided to spend a little extra on a good pair this past spring. They are from Corona and have performed very well for me this year. I have not lost them, either. When I invest a bit of money, I find I don’t lose whatever it is as quickly.

The Corona hand pruners stayed sharp most of the season. I took care to clean and dry them on a regular basis. I also didn’t use them for (too many) non-gardening type activities that could have dulled the blades, and I didn’t use them on anything that would gum up the moving parts.

All in all, I was very kind to my pruners. Again, it’s because I put some money into them.

Maintaining Pruners

Cleaning and sharpening the pruners (and a few other handheld hoe-type tools) was my final clean-up task of the season. To do the job, I pulled out a sharpener I had received as a sample several years ago but for some reason had never managed to use. It’s called the Porcelain Touch Tool Sharpener, and it’s changed my whole view of sharpening tools.

Unlike other sharpeners such as whetting stones, the Porcelain Touch is easy to hold and pass over the blade’s edge. The sharpener’s tapered design makes it easy to access tight corners where two blades might meet, such as with scissors or pruners. It also creates a sharp edge with just a couple of passes over the blade. And boy, is that a sharp edge!

Porcelain Touch is a tool made in the St. Louis, Missouri area. It’s a high-fire ceramic material that the company’s founders and ceramists create by hand.

Because each Porcelain Touch is crafted individually, each one is unique. They come in a variety of whimsical designs and colors. Mine has a peapod-shaped handle, but they also come with handles crafted as fish, birds, cats, dogs, flowers, and basic geometric shapes. These would make the perfect stocking stuffer for the gardener on your Christmas list—or for yourself.

And just a quick warning: because they are ceramic, they break easily if dropped. Maybe get two, or handle them very carefully.